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Many area school districts Tuesday avoided taking a stance on President Obama's address to the country's schoolchildren, instead allowing each teacher to make the choice.

"I forwarded the information to all of my teachers" and allowed them to make the decision, Kendy Klahr Hinkel, superintendent of Saint Clair Area School District, which includes kindergarten through eighth-grade students, said Tuesday afternoon, after the speech aired at noon. "We show all kinds of opposing political views to our kids all the time. I'd hate to stop doing that."

Obama's speech, shown live on C-Span and other cable networks and on whitehouse.gov, had met criticism from some conservatives who feared the speech could turn out to be pure political propaganda.

The president's speech instead focused on motivating children to stay in school, work hard and dream big.

"Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide," Obama said during his speech, delivered at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va.

At Pottsville Area High School, 28 seniors watched the speech on a small television set up in their economics classroom.

With districts all over the country logging on, the streaming video feed from the White House Web site ground to a halt, meaning a large SMART board in the classroom could not be used.

Principal Jacqueline Wapinsky said the district also left it to teachers to decide to show the speech, but she did hear serious concerns from parents.

"Some (said) that they don't even want their children exposed to it," Wapinsky told The Republican-Herald just before the speech began.

Students whose parents did not want them to see the speech were not forced to watch it, she said.

Other parents had no problem with their children watching the speech, but expressed concern over any writing assignments or homework accompanying the speech.

The White House's initial plan had called for lesson plans to go along with the speech. Those plans asked students to "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president."

That plan was later changed, instructing students to "write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term educational goals."

Despite the controversy - schools in Texas and other states did not allow the speech to be shown in their classrooms - Schuylkill County districts allowed students to watch the speech, if the teacher decided it was appropriate.

"It was handled differently at each of our buildings," Lorraine Felker, superintendent of Schuylkill Haven School District, said Tuesday afternoon.

She, too, said teachers were allowed to decide whether to show the speech. Some did, some didn't, she said, although she was not sure how many.

Williams Valley and Tri-Valley school districts also allowed teachers to make the decision, while Blue Mountain School District officials said they planned to record the speech and have officials review it before deciding whether to show it to students.

Wapinsky and other school officials did not allow The Republican-Herald to interview the students and ask for their reactions to the speech.

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32 posted comments

Wow the ignorance in this county is stifling. "Office Holder" you can't even call the man the President of the United States?

PRESIDENT Obama is trying to clean up the mess your boy W left behind. The PRESIDENT gave a short speech to the children of this great country to make sure the FUTURE of this country is taken care of. Something the conservatives clearly never thought about or cared about. What bothers you people so much about an intelligent man giving an uplifting speech to the youth of America?

The propoghanda you speak of is the message "Work hard and make something of yourself" ...think about what you people are saying.

Educated to be sent to Afghanistan to fight HIS war?...Seriously? Are you that dim? It's HIS war? Hardly. It's America's war we are forced to fight. He is trying to make sense of Afghanistan while still trying to deal with the Iraq War that W left behind.

Obama can cure cancer and you conservatives will fault him for that somewhow. It being all part of his socialist agenda. It's ridiculous.

Get real people - like the president or not, the message was a good thing for all students to hear - stay in school & make something of yourself. Thank god some of you decided not to allow your children to hear that kind of left wing propoganda. How horrible it would have been if your children were encouraged to stay in school by our country's president! I am so sick of people complaining about anything related to Obama - Bush made this mess, that's why the unemployment rate is so high. Bush started the war - now Obama is left to clean up his mess and all you do is complain. Obama was elected to office by this country's majority of citizens - that's democracy for you people - suck it up. We had to put up with G. W. acting like a baffoon for eight years! Instead of being bitter because a republican isn't in office, how about being hopeful that our new president can turn things around for us?

10% should realize that it could become 90% if we don't improve our education system which includes motivating our children. The President was doing his job when he gave this speech. Getting our economy out of the ditch where the last administration left it will take changes in many areas and education is surely one!

President Obama wanted to speak to our school children, encouraging them to stay in school, work hard and make a success of their lives. He has an inspiring personal story to tell and many of our children could have benefited from hearing him.

Instead we chose to teach a message of disrespect and censorship where a message from the President of the United States is not something that can be heard by all. I'm ashamed of our public officials who let a small minority change this message from one of hope and encouragement to one of disrespecting the Office of the President. If we can ignore and disrespect the President how do we expect our children to respect other government officials such as teachers and police officers?

What is so different from the previous times a President has provided an educational pep speech? The previous two presidents have done it, so why are we so quick to prevent Pres. Obama from doing the same? Hopefully not for prejudice reasons, though they might state political reasons.I think it is good to show that the highest office is still looking out for America's future. The education of today's students will determine our country's future (economically, socially, etc...).

Students academic hours should not be interupted for political grandstanding. The message of stay in school, work hard and do your homework should be enforced by PARENTS, not politicians. What a waste of time!!! I wonder how many hours and taxpayer dollars were wasted on this "production". If you want kids to work hard, fix the economy and tax system so that kids see that when parents work hard, they can reap and KEEP their just rewards!!!!

WHy is the President telling students to get educated when they face the prospects of a 10 % unumployment economy. The President should be focused on creating jobs rather than Campaigning and preening in front of the cameras.

There are many highly educated people without jobs because the President is failing in his job.

What does the new office holder care about educating the students? Does he want them educated to be sent to Afghanistan to fight His War? The new office holder campaigned as an anti-war President, yet he continues to keep troops in Iraq and he is now Increasing troops and fighting in AFPAK. Then people wonder why there are parents that don't want their children to hear propaganda from the new office holder.

President Obama wanted to speak to our school children encouraging them to "stay in school, work hard and dream big." He has an inspiring personal story to tell and many of our children could have benefited from hearing him.

Instead we chose to teach a message of disrespect and segregation where a message from the President of the United States is not something that can be heard by all. I'm ashamed of our public officials who let a small minority change this message from one of hope and encouragement to one of disrespecting the Office of the President. If we can ignore and disrespect the President how do we expect our children to respect other goverment officials such as teachers and police officers?